Guunu-maana team win 2025 NHMRC Research Quality Award

The Guunu-maana (Heal) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health research program at The George Institute has been awarded the prestigious National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Research Quality Award at a ceremony held in Canberra last night.

The honour - bestowed on one national winner only every two years - recognises the ‘outstanding contribution of an individual, team or organisation who has made a significant contribution to supporting and uplifting the quality of Australian health and medical research beyond their own program, to elevate the field as a whole.’

The Guunu-maana (Heal) Program is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led initiative working with communities to develop and conduct health research aimed at addressing inequities and improving health outcomes in Australia’s First Nations peoples.

Guunu-maana was founded by The George Institute in December 2017 and has since grown steadily in personnel and scope, producing research focused on making an impact in areas chosen by communities, underpinned by equity, transparency and self-determination, and maintaining an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander paradigm of health and healing, encompassing physical, emotional, social, cultural and spiritual dimensions.

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We are incredibly proud to receive the NHRMC Research Quality Award, which is testament to our commitment to cultural integrity and community-led research. Our team is dedicated, experienced and dynamic, and we’re grateful their work has been recognised. We strive to have an impact not only on specific health issues but also by providing positive examples of how research can be conducted both culturally and effectively, in partnership with communities, to improve health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.

Our collaborative approach is based on listening and ensures the research is not only methodologically sound but also culturally safe, deeply respectful of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, values, and lived experience, and able to be translated globally to contribute to improving the health of other First Nations communities.

By:

Associate Professor Julieann Coombes

Acting Co-Head, Guunu-maana (Heal) program, The George Institute for Global Health, and Conjoint Associate Professor, UNSW Sydney

The Guunu-maana program examines social and cultural determinants of health, healthcare systems, and community priorities, emphasising strong Indigenous leadership, strengths-based approaches, and capacity building for both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous researchers.

Guunu-maana’s research has transformed the landscape of health research for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities locally, influencing Australians Indigenous health policy, including National Prevention Strategies and Closing the Gap. It has also contributed to global standards, sparking international discussions such as during the first Australasian Injury Prevention Conference focused on Indigenous voices. Collaborations such Safe Pathways, Community Coordinated Burn Care, Building Cultural safety and Capability, Food and Water for Life, the Housing, Home and Health study and Dance2Kinnect, are among a growing body of evidence from Guunu-maana demonstrating the importance of culturally informed care in bridging health disparities.

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By fostering respect, transparency and leadership both within the team and the broader community, Guunu-maana creates a sustainable foundation for impactful quality research. Guunu-maana’s leadership is reflected in its influence on both national and global health strategies, aiming to address health disparities and promote self-determination for Indigenous peoples through high quality research.

By:

Professor Steve Wesselingh

Chief Executive Officer, NHMRC